Play Core In-App Review API not showing the Review Activity

Question

I'm trying to utilize the Review API (Play Core library 1.8.0) from Google which was just released yesterday. See https://developer.android.com/guide/playcore/in-app-review

I followed the troubleshooting section carefully, I made sure the app is downloaded from the internal testing track, my account does not have a review on the app, the app is in the library of that user etc.. I even tried with a completely new account, but every time the com.google.android.finsky.inappreviewdialog.InAppReviewActivity is shown only to immediately disappear.

I'm calling the following code from the onResume() method of my activity:

                reviewManager = ReviewManagerFactory.create(AlarmClock.this);
                Logger.logInfo("Rating: requestReviewFlow() ");
                reviewManager.requestReviewFlow().addOnSuccessListener(new OnSuccessListener<ReviewInfo>() {
                    @Override
                    public void onSuccess(ReviewInfo result) {
                        Logger.logInfo("Rating: launchReviewFlow() ");
                        reviewManager.launchReviewFlow(AlarmClock.this, result).addOnSuccessListener(new OnSuccessListener<Void>() {
                            @Override
                            public void onSuccess(Void result) {
                                Logger.logInfo("Rating: launchReviewFlow() success ");
                            }
                        });
                    }
                });

Both listeners return success.

Here is the log output:

2020-08-06 16:01:29.317 29618-29618/? I/MyApp: [06Aug 16:01:29.317, main]: Rating: requestReviewFlow()
2020-08-06 16:01:29.318 29618-29618/? I/PlayCore: UID: [10409]  PID: [29618] ReviewService : requestInAppReview (com.mypackage)
2020-08-06 16:01:29.320 29618-29774/? I/PlayCore: UID: [10409]  PID: [29618] ReviewService : Initiate binding to the service.
2020-08-06 16:01:30.081 29618-29618/? I/PlayCore: UID: [10409]  PID: [29618] ReviewService : ServiceConnectionImpl.onServiceConnected(ComponentInfo{com.android.vending/com.google.android.finsky.inappreviewservice.InAppReviewService})
***2020-08-06 16:01:30.082 29618-29774/? I/PlayCore: UID: [10409]  PID: [29618] ReviewService : linkToDeath***
2020-08-06 16:01:30.355 29618-29637/? I/PlayCore: UID: [10409]  PID: [29618] OnRequestInstallCallback : onGetLaunchReviewFlowInfo
2020-08-06 16:01:30.355 29618-29774/? I/PlayCore: UID: [10409]  PID: [29618] ReviewService : Unbind from service.
2020-08-06 17:02:21.590 7478-7478/? I/MyApp: [06Aug 17:02:21.590, main]: Rating: launchReviewFlow() 
2020-08-06 17:02:21.630 1511-4316/? I/ActivityTaskManager: START u0 {cmp=com.android.vending/com.google.android.finsky.inappreviewdialog.InAppReviewActivity (has extras)} from uid 10122
2020-08-06 17:02:21.750 7478-7478/? I/MyApp: [06Aug 17:02:21.750, main]: Rating: launchReviewFlow() success 

Anyone had success to make this working? Any tips. Big thanks!

Answer 1

I have raised a issue on google issue tracker regarding this. I also have the same issue.

For more info check this my issue tracking url: https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/167352813

Answer 2

Okay, I had exactly the same problem as described by the OP and as is listed on the issue tracker here: https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/167352813 and has still not been resolved as yet by GoogleDev.

Same UI manifestation(s), same log entries (incidentally, the log entries are the same when it works though, complete with the entry that says “ReviewService : linkToDeath”, but let’s not worry about that eh?)

The key thing, you'll no-doubt want to know though, to avoid too much suspense, is that IT WORKS. The in-app review API works! No need for me to repeat the block of code for calling the review flow, it is pretty much exactly the same as in the docs, similar to what the OP has listed, and several others have kindly repeated.

Took me a while, but I got to the bottom of it as follows, in a nutshell:

1. Your device needs to have the latest Google Play system update

2. Irrespective of whether your app is published on the Play Store YOU ABSOLUTELY NEED TO DO YOUR TESTING VIA INTERNAL APP TESTING or SHARING (I only did “Internal App Testing”, but I expect the same applies)

3. To debug your code with Android Studio, you need to have installed your Internal App Testing version on your device AND RUN THE DEBUGGER SUCCESSFULLY WITH YOUR IAT VERSION STILL INSTALLED ON THE DEVICE AT LEAST ONCE

4. Once you are up and running, when the review dialog pops up, you have to note that, if you submit a review, then you have utilised all your quota. When you try and launch the review flow again it looks like the “problem” has returned. You get “successful” launch but nothing shows. If you have submitted a review (and this is why it absolutely needs to be in IAT), then it is only a “private review” (not seen publicly on your app page), and you need to DELETE THE REVIEW TO GET THE POP UP TO SHOW AGAIN.

5. You can select “Not Now” instead of "Submit" ad infinitum (well, I tried about two-dozen times) and the pop-up dialog will launch each time you (re)call the flow.

So, step-by-step fix:

1. Prepare your device by uninstalling your app, then ensure you have the latest Google Play Store update. On my Sony Xperia X1 this is Settings->About Phone->Android version->Google Play system update.

2. Irrespective of whether the above restarted your device, turn your device off and then back on again (don’t restart - off then on i.e. cold boot).

3. Now go into Settings->Apps & notifications->Google Play->Storage & Cache, then do both CLEAR CACHE and CLEAR STORAGE. (This should not affect any of your installed apps).

4. Create a signed release for IAT based on your In-App review code base. You have to do this even if you have a release in production.

5. Now install your IAT RELEASE on your device - the words, "(Internal Beta)" or words to that effect, should be appended to your app name if you are downloading from the right location (i.e. IAT), (do not run it, just install)

6. In Android studio Clean, Rebuild and Debug, your app on the device with the IAT version installed. If you get a message saying "The device already has an application with the same package but a different signature." DON'T CLICK OK TO UNINSTALL YOUR IAT VERSION Follow the instructions here: Android: Error - App has same packaged different signature. The accepted answer is the correct one. If you have to do this, please note you should do a Clean and Rebuild->Debug again.

Hopefully, now all should be okay. Once you have done the above steps successfully, you can actually "clean" uninstall the app from the device on subsequent debugging sessions, and it will still work.

To test, and to delete a review note the following. When you submit a review, you will be able to see it in Google Play Console (not under "Reviews", incidentally but) under "Testing Feedback". Also you cannot delete your review under "Testing Feedback" it seems. You need to delete it from your IAT download page on the device. On there, under the heading Your private feedback, select the right-angled ellipsis thingy to the right of your review and simply "Delete".

Your pop-up will now show every time until you submit another review. Voila!

Answer 3

I also saw the same problem, my request review flow works, then the launch review flow works, but nothing displays (I do notice the small line at the center of the bottom of the screen appears briefly, and my audio cuts out briefly as the app is paused and then resumed but no review flow appeared).

I was able to get it to work by adding a user to my device that was not in my list of License Testers (Google developer console) and had not reviewed my app previously. I was able to display the rating popup once, I cancelled the operation so that I could test it again, but it would not reappear afterwards. It appears to be a one shot thing and they are aggressively guarding against annoying the user with review popups.

This feature doesn't seem useful for my case, I have a button on the settings screen to rate my app. Since I have no way of knowing what happened, I can't thank the user, I can't disable the button or display an "you already rated this thank you" message, and the button just appears to do nothing so it looks like a bug. I guess the intended use is to ask the user during gameplay, and if they cancel the dialog accidentally then it's just too bad for you.

Ideally Google should allow License Testing users to display this popup more than once for testing purposes.

Answer 4

I just want to share the code that is working reliably today (2020-09-03). It was essentially copied from the official document

ReviewManager manager = ReviewManagerFactory.create(activity);
Task<ReviewInfo> request = manager.requestReviewFlow();
request.addOnCompleteListener(task -> {
    try {
        if (task.isSuccessful()) {
            // We can get the ReviewInfo object
            ReviewInfo reviewInfo = task.getResult();
            Task<Void> flow = manager.launchReviewFlow(activity, reviewInfo);
            flow.addOnCompleteListener(task2 -> {
                // The flow has finished. The API does not indicate whether the user
                // reviewed or not, or even whether the review dialog was shown. Thus, no
                // matter the result, we continue our app flow.
                utility.logMessageAsync(activity, "In-app review returned.");
            });
        } else {
            // There was some problem, continue regardless of the result.
            goToAppPage(activity);
        }
    } catch (Exception ex) {
        utility.logExceptionAsync(activity, "Exception from openReview():", ex);
    }
});

It was tested with internal app sharing on a Android 10. It never failed to show the review dialog.

Answer 5

I had the same problem and I solved with the next steps:

1. Adding my APK file to internal testing channel
2. Adding a tester user with a gmail account ex: [email protected]. GSuite mails don't work
3. With the tester mail, accept the tester privilege
4. With a physical device signed with the tester user email, go to Play Store and download the app

It works!!

Note: If App is not published yet, you could use Google Console App Sharing